Finding Your Spiritual Journey
"Journey from Death to Life"
Pastor Jerry
March 8, 2020
Genesis 22:1-13, 19
-------------------Sermon Synopsis-----------------
If you want to fascinate a child with a great story, one of the best ways to do that is to make the child a main character in a story.
Everyone has a story. I have a story. You have a story. Some read like tragedies, some like comedies. Some are mysteries, and others are romances. But everyone has a story. All of our stories, different as they are, are part of a bigger story: It is the story told in the pages of your Bible, from Genesis to the book of Revelation. During the remainder of Lent we are going to explore some of the stories from the Bible––stories that tell us something about ourselves, our lives, and God’s hopes and plans for us.
And the story today is an amazing incident sometimes called “The Binding of Isaac.” It is a story of great faith, the story of a father who was so obedient to God that he was willing to make the greatest sacrifice imaginable. It is not just Isaac’s story; it is the story of all of us in at least three very important ways.
- My life is an uncertain journey (Genesis 22:1–8).
Put yourself in Isaac’s shoes. There was much Isaac didn’t understand. There was much that hadn’t been revealed to him. There was much that was a mystery. That is true of your life and mine. We are all on a journey–– an uncertain journey. We don’t know what lies ahead. (
I don’t know about tomorrow; But I know who holds tomorrow
… And I know who holds my hand.) Your life, like mine, is an uncertain journey. That’s one way in which Isaac’s story is my story, and yours, too.
- My death appears certain (Genesis 22:9–10).
Did Abraham explain what had to happen to Isaac? Did Isaac resist? We don’t know for sure. But it seems likely that, at some point, Isaac understood what was happening. At some point, he realized that his death was certain. Talk about your life flashing before your eyes! Some of us have had such a moment. Maybe it was a cancer scare. Maybe it was a car accident or an operation. But Isaac’s story is your story, and mine, regardless.
Ever since the first human beings ignored God’s warning and did things their own way, we have all gone astray. We have all rejected God’s way and chosen our own way … repeatedly. And the awful consequence of the sin that touches us all is the death that awaits us all. Death is coming for us all, one way or another, sooner or later. Depressing, right? But stay with me, it gets better. Before we can truly appreciate the good news, though, we need to understand the bad news. Death is coming for us all. But, that is not the end of the story.
- My salvation has been provided (Genesis 22:11–14).
The angel of the Lord called out to Abraham saying
“Do not harm the boy …for now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.” And Isaac was saved. But your story doesn’t end there, any more than Isaac’s story ended on Mt. Moriah. Because just as he did for Isaac, God provided salvation for
you … a substitute.
Do you imagine that Isaac dropped to his knees in tearful gratitude for the salvation God provided? Do you think that’s the kind of response that would be appropriate for you, today? The Bible says you have passed from death into life, and will live forever in the love of God in Christ.
